Bill on civil unions removed from agenda of today's Saeima meeting

• Published date: 26 May 2022
• Publication title: LETA

RIGA, May 26 (LETA) - The final reading of a bill on civil unions has been removed from the agenda of today's Saeima meeting.

The bill's removal from the parliament's agenda was proposed by the National Alliance group in the Saeima.

Uncertainty about the bill's adoption arose after MPs of Harmony said on Wednesday that they would not take part in the final vote on the draft legislation because they suspected that some MPs could have been "illegally" persuaded to support the bill. Harmony suggested holding the third reading of the bill after the upcoming Saeima elections.

Harmony said in a statement that all members of the party's Saeima group had agreed that they would not participate in further consideration of the bill.

t least 50 MPs must vote for the bill for the parliament to pass it. Up until now, the bill was always supported by some members of Harmony, therefore the party's latest decision means that the bill may fail to pass into law.

Harmony says in the statement that several opposition members have turned to the Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB), asking the bureau to investigate whether some MPs could have sold their votes on the bill.

Harmony therefore believes that adoption of the bill should be suspended while the Corruption Prevention Bureau investigates the allegation, and the bill should be reviewed in the final reading by the 14th Saeima.

Last week, opposition members Julija Stepanenko, Aldis Gobzems (For Him and Her) and Edgars Tavars (Greens/Farmers) turned to the Corruption Prevention Bureau regarding Saeima member Aivars Geidans' (Conservatives) conduct during Saeima Legal Affairs Committee's vote on the civil unions bill, as...